Rotary engine.



- S. E. MGGANN.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 1410;27, 1907.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911 2 SHBETS-SHEET I.

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S. E. MOG'ANN. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAYZ'Y, 1907.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

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STEPHEN E. McG-ANN,' 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. as", 1911.

Application filed May 27, 1907. Serial No. 375,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN E. MCGANN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in R0- tary Engines; and I hereby declare the fol- Y lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable;

others skilled in the art to which it to make and use the same,-

. This invention relates to improvements'in rotary engines, and particularly to the type known as hydrocarbon explosive engines.

The object of my inventionis to provide pertains an engine of this character which will'be extremely simple .in construction, durable and practical in operation and capable of automatically regulating the number of explosions according'to the speed atwhich the engine is being driven.

With these objects in View, my invention consists in providing a new and improved form of p ston and new and improved means for regulating the admission of the gas 'to,

the explosion chamber.

My invention also consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts as describedin the'specification, pointed out in theclaims and illustrated in the accompa-- nying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is'a central section of a rotary engine em bodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Again referring to the drawings 1 represents 'a'- suitable base plate on which is arranged the cylinder of the engine. The cylinder as shown is formed in two parts. the lower part 2 being preferably integral with the base and the upper part 3 being fastened to the upper part by means of bolts 4. A shaft 5 extends through the center of the casing and is suitably mounted in bearings 6. On the shaft 5 within the casing is keyed a hub 7 and on said hub are arranged two pairs of'long arms 8 and'two pairs of short arms 9. The long arms are arranged diametrically opposite each other and the short arms are arranged diametricallyopposite each other.

The pistons 10 which are preferably twoin number are scoop shaped in form and each piston is so arranged that. one end thereof comes in contactwith the curved wallof the cylinder, and the otherv end is "arranged a short d stance therefrom so that the scoop and the adjacent wall of the cylinder form a pocket 11 which is at all times open at one end. Where the pistons come in contact wlth the wall of the casing they are provided with broad bearing surfaces 12 and in and to the adjacent pair of short arms by means of pins 15 so that the pistons are supported at opposite sides-of the hub.

' Near the top of the engine cylinder is formed an'exhaust opening 16. Near the bottom of the engine cylinder and in open communication therewith is arranged a cylinder 18 which constitutes the combustion' and compression chamber. At the mouth of the chamber'is arranged a valve 19 which is held in its closed position by means of a spring 20. Thespring 20 is made sufficiently strong to withstand the pressure in the cylinder 18 while the gas is being compressed but so that it will yield to the explosive force of the charge and permit it to act upon the pistons without appreciably diminishing the force thereof. At the oppos site end of the compression chamber is formed an intake opening 21 which is connected by means of a p-ipe22 with a gas reservoir not shown. Within the compression chamber is arranged apiston 23 which is provided with. a piston rod 24, and on the end of the piston rod is mounted a roller 25. A coiledspring 26 is arranged on the piston .rod 24: and one'end thereof abuts against the end of the compression cylinder 18, and'the other end abuts against a collar 27 arranged near the end of the piston rod. Theobject of this spring is to hold the piston rod normally in its outer position and consequently to hold the piston in the rear end of the compression cylinder 18. In the compression cylinder 18 is arranged a sparking plug 28 of the usual description. Standards or supports 30 are mounted on the base 1 in proximity to the end of the compression cylinder 18 and therein is journaled a shaft 31. On

the shaft 31 are mounted two cam-disks 32 and 33. The cam-disk 32. is rigidly secured on the shaft. and the cam-disk 33 is secured on the shaft by means of afeat-her so as to turn with the shaft whilebeing free to slide longitudinally thereon. The cams 32 and 33 are so mounted on the shafts that their.

points of greatest eccentricity are on diametrically opposite sidesofithe shaft. The cams 32 and 33 are similar; in form and at their points of greatest eccentricity are slightly flattened as indicated at 32 and 33'.

On the shaft '31 is mounted aspring gov- 10.

ernor of the usual construction which is secured to the slidable cam38 and to a col-' lar-36 which'is secured on the shaft 31 so .as

to'turn therewith.

On the outer end of the shaft 5 at one side of the casing is secured a fly-wheel 4c, and

on the other end of .said shaft is secured a beveled-gear ll. In suitable bearings 42 is:

journaled a shaft 43 which is provided at one end with a beveled gear 44 arranged to mesh with the beveled gear 41, and at its other end with a beveled gear 45 which is arranged to mesh with a beveled gearati secured outhe shaft 31.

The operation of lily-engine is as follows I/Vhen the engine is to be started it is cranked as is customary so as to permit a charge to enter the compression chamber and. in order to do this the shaft carrying the cams must be rotated so as to bring the parts of the cam having the least eccentricity opposite the. end of the piston rod and therefore the piston rod would be in its outer p0- siti'on and the piston will be in the rear end of the compression chamber. The gas is therefore able to flow into the cylinder and as the shaft continues to rotate the cam'in contact with theroller on the end of the pis-v ton rod will shove in the'piston rod and thereby compress the charge in the compres sion chamber. When the flat spot -on this cam is in contact with the roller on the pisforce thereof will open the valve 19 and be ton rod the charge will be exploded and the expended against one of the engine pistons which at that moment will be in proximity to the mouth of the compression chamber. As the shaft 31 continues to rotate the other cam willcome in contact with the roller on the end of the piston rod. and the operation thereof will. be the same as already described. There will therefore be two explosions for each rotation of the shaft 31 as long as the engine runs below the prede 'ton being arranged to contact mounted in said cylinder, a scoop-shaped piston supported on said shaft intermediate the ends of said piston, one end of-said pis-'. with the wall of the cylinder and. the other end being in proximity tobut spaced a short distance 1 away from the wall of said cylinder so as to leave-an exit for thegases between said end and the wall of the cylinder, a combustion chamber communicatingwith said cyl inder, means for supplying a charge to said chamber and means for exploding said charge when the concave face of said piston is in position to bridge the mouth of said' combustion chamber.

2. In an engine ofthe character indicated the combination of a cylinder; a shaft mounted in said cylinder, a plurality of scoop-shaped pistons supported on said shaft intermediate the ends of said pistons, each piston being arranged so that one end thereof is in contact with the wall of said cylinder and the other end is in proximity to the wall of the cylinder but spaced a short distance'therefrom, a combustion chamber communicating with saidcylinder, means for supplying explosive gas to said chamber and means for exploding said charge when the concave faces of said pistons are in position .to bridge the rrieuth of said combustion chamber. v

3. In an engine of the character indicated, the combination of a cylinder, a shaft rotatably mounted in said cylinder, a scoop shaped piston secured on said shaft, said piston being provided with flanges on both its side edges and on one end arranged to con- ;tact with the wall of the said cylinder and having the other end spaced a distance away .from the wallof said cylinder, a compression chamber communicating with said cyl inder, a spring controlledyalve.arranged in a the compression chamber. a piston provided with a piston rod. arranged to extend through the rear end of said compression chamber, means for resiliently holding the piston in the rear end of saidchamber, a shaft arranged in proximity to the end of. the piston rod. a cam arranged on said shaft so as to come in contact with the end ofthe piston rod when -the shaft is rotated and force the piston rod into the compression chamber, and means for actuating said shaft.

', 4. In an engine of the character indicated,

the combination of a c linder. a shaft rotatably mounted in. said cylinder. a scoop shaped piston secured on "said shaft and arr an qed to contact at both side edges and one end with the walls of said cylinder and haw ing its other end spaced :1 distance away from the wall thereof. a compression chamber communicating with said cylinder. a sprmgcon trolled valve arranged to intercept commumcation b t een the compression chamber and the said cylinder, a piston arranged in the compression chamber and provided with a piston rod arranged to extend through the rear end of said compression chamber, means for resiliently holding the piston in the rear end of said chamber, a shaft arranged in proximity to the end of the piston rod, two cams mounted on'said shaft at diametrically opposite sides of said shaft and arranged to'turn therewith, one of said cams being free to slide longitudinally on said shaft, means for driving said shaft, and a governorsecured to said shaft and to the slidable cam.

5. In an engine of the character indicated, the combination of a cylinder, a shaft rotatably mounted .in said cylinder, two scoop shaped pistons secured on said shaft atdiainetrically opposite sides thereof, each. of said pistons being arranged to contact at both side edges and at one end with the Walls of said cylinder, and having its other end spaced :1 distance away from the wall thereof, a compression chamber communicating With said cylinder, a spring controlled valve arranged to intercept communication between the compression chamber and said cylinder, a piston arranged in the compression chamber and provided with'a piston rod arranged to extend through the rear end of saidcompression chamber, means for resiliently holding the piston in the rear end of said chamber, a shaft arranged in proximity to the end of the piston rod, two camsmounted on said shaft at diametrically opposite sides of said shaft and arranged to turn therewith and come in contact with the end of the piston rod, one of said cams being free to slide longitudinally on said shaft, means for driving said shaft, and a governor secured to said shaft and to the slidable cam.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two witness'es.

STEPHEN E. McGANN.

\Vit-nesses VIo'roR C. LYNCH, B. C. BROWN. 

